Help Me Howard: Phone Book Flap

(WSVN) -- Louise is the person you call to make your house look perfect.

Louise designs window coverings. A talent she was born with...

Louise: "I always like design. As a kid I was always drawing...I was very I've always been creative."

She has owned Creative Design Concepts for 14 years. Getting customer through referrals...

Louise: "You can do natural wood."

Or through her ads in the BellSouth yellow pages.

Louise: "I'm with BellSouth for 14 years. I've never had any problem. I am listed under my name and my business address and business phone number."

But a few weeks ago.. This Verizon Yellow Pages was dropped at her door.

Louise: "I don't use Verizon. And, I got this book. And I never asked to be in these."

But she was curious ... And looked to see if her business was listed --- it was.

Louise couldn't believe her eyes.

Her home address, listed as her business address...Even though she had a shop a few blocks away.

Louise: "It's a big error. And, I certainly don't like having my business of 14 years with my home address."

Suddenly, she had customers showing up at her home.

Louise: "Your home is your home it's private."

She called Verizon to find out where they got her private information from.

Louise: They told me from BellSouth. Then she called BellSouth, to find out why they were selling her unlisted information.

Frustrated...And fuming...Louise then called Help Me Howard.

7-News Legal Expert Howard Finkelstein: "Not only are local companies like BellSouth allowed to sell public information to companies like Verizon...The law forces them sell business and home listings. However, if a customer pays to have their phone number and address unlisted, then the phone company cannot and should not sell that information."

When Help Me Howard contacted BellSouth, they told us they did sell a list to Verizon. However, they claim they did not provide them Louise's home address.

Verizon told us they got the list from BellSouth, but could not show us anything that showed that BellSouth gave them her home address.

Louise is stuck...The phone books are out...And even if she could prove who made the mistake...Legally there is little she can do.

Howard: "In this case, the law won't give her money for her privacy being violated. The best she can hope for is to get back what she paid to keep her address private."

Louise says there out to be a law to protect the customer ... To require companies to contact you before publishing your information.

Louise: "They should have your permission to do that. They should."

This whole thing came about after congress deregulated the phone companies. The law required companies to share information and equipment in order to give consumers more options for phone service.

Unfortunately for Louise.. Better service isn't always better service.

Contact: pfraser@wsvn.com